To \”rush through the yellow light\” is a reference to a common practice for the more daring Chinese journalists who write about sensitive topics before state officials flash the red light of censorship. That’s what happened to “The Fat Years,” a dystopian thriller by Chan Koon-Chung, which is now officially banned by the Chinese government. […] … learn more→

China has undertaken ambitious reforestation initiatives that have increased its forest cover dramatically in the last decade. But scientists are now raising questions about just how effective these grand projects will turn out to be. In China, major environmental degradation caused by deforestation was apparent even 2,000 years ago, when the great waterway once simply […] … learn more→

Not only are more students than ever before travelling abroad to realise their higher education ambitions, they are also increasingly gravitating away from traditional educational hotspots in order to do so – and this trend looks set to continue, with competition for international students growing worldwide. Over the course of a decade, the number of […] … learn more→

A team of researchers jointly led by Yale University and Columbia University has released a report that introduces a framework for assessing China’s environmental management and performance. This analysis offers the first independent review of Chinese provincial-level environmental performance by international researchers. The report, “Towards a China Environmental Performance Index,” introduces a model framework for […] … learn more→

Gasps echoed through the Harvard Radcliffe gymnasium recently as audience members reacted to the image of a woman’s foot, projected on a large screen at the front of the hall. It was a foot in name only. The misshapen mass looked more like a hoof bisected by a crack. The deformity was the result of […] … learn more→

In Chinese folklore, a dragon symbolizes strength. It is an apt icon for a nation whose rise as an economic superpower has been nothing short of meteoric. While China’s stunning economic advances have come at significant environmental cost, the boom has been a plus in a few realms. The country is investing avidly in green […] … learn more→

The Institute of International Education (IIE) OpenDoorsin New York released its annual ‘Open Doors’ report on student mobility to and from the US this week. It is funded by the State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. The inward mobility data are for the academic year 2010-11 and study-abroad data are for 2009-10. The […] … learn more→

The Chinese agricultural success story is not only distorted, but it is being misapplied in Africa. As Sub-Saharan Africa grapples with high food prices in some regions and famine in others, many experts argue that increasing food production through a program of hybrid seeds and chemical inputs is the way to go. This approach, marketed […] … learn more→

The skepticism of contemporary China’s multilayered and painful efforts to achieve legal and political reform makes many wonder if democracy can really grow in the Chinese soil. This is such a haunting question not only for Western commentators but also for the Chinese leadership. It is fundamentally important to realise that Chinese civilisation was established […] … learn more→

Nations such as China and India are surging ahead, but the West should be careful not to overestimate, misinterpret the changes or “become paralyzed by fear of our own decline,” the British ambassador to the U.S. told a UW international studies class on Wednesday, Sept. 28. Sir Nigel Sheinwald said the response to Asia should […] … learn more→